Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

The European Union Times


Posted: 17 Nov 2014 02:09 PM PST


Two cannabis components can have a significant effect on the size of cancerous tumors in the brain, especially when combined with radiotherapy, according to new research. The study says the growths can virtually “disappear.”
The research was carried out by specialists at St Georges, University of London and published in the Molecular Cancer Therapeutics journal.
There are some 85 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, but the two that had a demonstrably positive effect were tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Combining their use alongside radiotherapy shows a drastic effect, the study claims.
Brain cancer killed around 5,200 people in Britain in 2012.
Tests involving THC and CBD carried out on mice showed that any cancerous growth slowed right down, the scientists said.
“The results are extremely exciting. The tumors were treated in a variety of ways, either with no treatment, the cannabinoids alone, and irradiation alone or with both the cannabinoids and irradiation at the same time,” Dr. Wai Liu, senior research fellow and lead researcher on the project, told Science Daily.
“The benefits of the cannabis plant elements were known before but the drastic reduction of brain cancers if used with irradiation is something new and may well prove promising for patients who are in gravely serious situations with such cancers in the future.”
Possibilities of human trials are being considered by the team responsible for the research.
However, the impact of THC has not been found to be consistently positive. Grey matter could be much more vulnerable than white matter to its effects, according to recent research by neuroscientists at the University of Texas.
“The results suggest increases in connectivity, both structural and functional that may be compensating for gray matter losses. Eventually, however, the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use,” Sina Aslan, one of the study’s authors, stated.
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Posted: 17 Nov 2014 01:44 PM PST
A man holds a burnt US flag in front of the US embassy on November 17, 2014 in the center of Athens at a march commemorating the 1973 students uprising against the military junta.
Thousands of Greeks have taken to the streets of the capital, Athens, to commemorate the 1973 student uprising against the country’s US-backed military dictatorship.
Over 20,000 demonstrators took part in the peaceful march on Monday, marking the 41st anniversary of the National Technical University of Athens (Athens Polytechnic) uprising, which began on November 14, 1973, and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November 17.
The annual rally in which the students, joined by trade union members, marched from the Polytechnic University to the American embassy was policed by some 7,000 officers.
Greek officials closed down most of the city’s universities and banned all sit-ins.
As part of the security measures in the city, authorities closed off major streets and underground stations.
Athens’ Law School and Athens University of Economics were also cordoned off by police.
On November 13, police forces gathered outside the Athens Law School and the Athens University of Economics following a decision by the universities’ authorities not to shut down the schools ahead of the November 17 anniversary.
Brief clashes broke out when the students were trying to enter the school building with police forces using tear gas to disperse them.
The November 17 anniversary marks the student uprising against the country’s military rule in 1973, to which police and the Greek military responded by opening fire on protesters and bystanders, killing hundreds of them.
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Posted: 17 Nov 2014 01:43 PM PST


In the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District of Russia, a team of scientists completed the third scientific expedition to the giant crater that was discovered on the peninsula near the floodplain of the Mord Yaha River last summer. The disсovery received a lot of attention in the media.
For the first time since the discovery, scientists were able to examine the inner part of the sinkhole and take samples of soil and ice for chemical and isotopic analyses, representatives of the regional authorities said.
During the previous expeditions – two of them were attempted in July and August – the interior walls of the sinkhole would crumble and collapse, which prevented the scientists from conducting a full examination. On 8 November, when low temperatures made the soil hard enough, the researchers were able to look inside and find out that the contours of the sinkhole have changed noticeably since the time of the discovery.
The scientists descended into the sinkhole to take samples of soil and ice from its surface. In addition, they used a special probe for ground penetrating radar examination of the hole at a depth of 200 meters. The technology will make it possible to see the visible structure of the hole and create a 3D model of it. The analysis of the bizarre phenomenon will give scientists an opportunity to predict such natural phenomena in the future, a press release said.
The giant crater, the scientists believe, will become a tundra lake in about two years. There are many of such lakes in Yamal, and most of them are of similar origin. However, the nature of such sinkholes still remains unknown – no one knows how they appear and what leads to their appearance.
“Further, our objective is to systematize all data that we have been able to collect so far and develop methods for monitoring to possibly predict the appearance of such a phenomenon,” director of the Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration, Vladimir Pushkarev said.
In April 2015, another expedition is planned to conduct geophysical and geological research of the territory around the sinkhole.
On July 10, a video appeared on YouTube showing an aerial view of the giant sinkhole. The hole was found 30 kilometers far from the Bovanenkovsky oil and gas condensate field. The author of the video said that the size of the hole was so large that one could descend into it on several Mi-8 helicopters.
In the course of the first examination of the sinkhole, scientists concluded that the sinkhole was of natural origin and was not a consequence of an anthropogenic impact, such as an explosion or the fall of a meteorite.
The scientists did not detect any dangerous radiation at the site of the sinkhole. The researchers concluded that the hole was the result “of a natural phenomenon, the definition of which can not be given without detailed study.”
The diameter of the inner edge of the crater is about 40 meters, and 60 meters on the outside. Fragments of rock were scattered as a result of the emission on the square of 120 meters, senior researcher of the Scientific Research Center of the Arctic, Andrei Plekhanov said. The video shows that the sinkhole is surrounded with vegetation. A closer look on the territory around the object shows rocks scattered around the sinkhole, as it usually happens during explosions. It was also said that there were no research or exploration works conducted in the area of the sinkhole.
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Posted: 17 Nov 2014 01:35 PM PST
A record 2.5 million children were homeless across the US in 2013, a new report says.
A new report says a record 2.5 million children, nearly one child in every 30, were homeless across the United States in 2013.
The report issued by the National Center on Family Homelessness on Monday showed an 8 percent increase in homeless children compared to 2012.
“When you look at the resources and where they’ve been driven … there’s been a national priority to address the issues for the chronic homeless and for veterans … and we’ve seen those numbers decline,” said the center’s director, Carmela DeCandia. “That’s a good thing. The problem is the same level of attention has not been paid to kids and families.”
She added that homeless children show higher rates of developmental problems and mental health needs.
In 2010, there were 1.6 million homeless children in the US.
According to the report, the high poverty rate is the main cause of child homelessness.
The authors of the report also rank the states on a variety of factors related to child homelessness.
According to the report, children in southern states experience higher homelessness, with Alabama, Mississippi, California, Arkansas and New Mexico dominating the bottom of the group’s overall ranking.
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Posted: 17 Nov 2014 01:18 PM PST


China and Australia have sealed a major free trade agreement worth billions of dollars giving the Australian agricultural sector tariff free access to the massive Chinese market, while China will get greater access to investment projects in Australia.
Ministers from China and Australia signed a Declaration of Intent on Monday, culminating over a decade of work towards the deal. The actual agreement will not take effect until after 2015, when all the legal points have been drafted and translated.
“This has been a 10-year journey, but we have finally made it,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said during a ceremony in Canberra.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech to the Australian parliament that China would deepen cooperation with Australia and other nations.
The agreement would “create a high-level platform and provide better institutional arrangements for our economic cooperation. The Chinese government is ready to enhance dialogue and co-operation with relevant countries to jointly maintain freedom of navigation and safety of maritime rules,” said Mr. Xi.
The big winner from the deal is the Australian agricultural sector, particular dairy farmers and winemakers, who will have tax- and tariff-free access to the Chinese market.
About 85 percent of Australian exports to China will not incur tariffs, with this figure rising to 95 percent when the deal is fully implemented.
Chinese exports to Australia, such as clothes and electronics, will also be tariff-free, while Chinese investors will be given free rein over where they put their money in Australia. The threshold of Chinese investment in Australia will be raised from A$248 million (US$216 million) to A$1.078 billion. (US$939 million).
Australia is hoping the deal with China will transform its economy from reliance on the export of minerals and raw materials like coal and iron ore, and grow the agricultural sector.
“[The agreement] should help to support Australia’s great rebalancing act, from mining investment-led growth towards the non-mining sectors of the economy,” HSBC economist Paul Bloxham said in a note, as quoted by Reuters.
But the deal is not without its detractors. Australian Senator Bill Hefferman and senior member of the Liberal Party warned that Beijing’s refusal to float its currency could give it an unfair advantage over Australia.
Australia also failed to get a reduction in tariffs on key commodities such as rice, cotton and sugar. And Chinese firms will still be scrutinized by Australia’s foreign investment review board.
Trade between China and Australia has grown substantially over the past few decades and in 2013 was worth A$150 billion (US$130 billion). Australia is heavily dependent on the Chinese economy, with exports to Beijing accounting for 5.3 percent of gross domestic product.
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Posted by Roberto Abraham Scaruffi at 19:32